The Denver Post has a nice rundown of how to prepare for hiking Colorado’s high peaks.

“Ascending from 5,000 feet to 14,000 feet in one day is dangerous,” DiMartino says. “If you are not used to hiking, do several weeks of long day hikes at lower altitudes,” he says, noting that many trailheads are accessible along Colorado 93 between Golden and Boulder.

Tips on food and water:

Water: Hydration and calories sufficient for getting you up and down the mountain are crucial. About 100 ounces of water should be carried for the day in either a hydration and pack system or as three 30-ounce bottles. DiMartino reminds us, “Hydration starts at the beginning of the four- to-eight-week training period, not the day of the hike.” He suggests getting into drinking water regularly throughout the day during your training. A small caffeinated drink can also be helpful during the hike in case you experience headaches at high altitude.

Food: You will be gone for an entire day, so pack the same number of calories (or more) that you would normally eat in a day. DiMartino suggests taking real food, not just trail mix and energy bars. Hiking a fourteener is not the day to restrict calories. Food and water keep the core warm; calorie deficit sucks heat and energy from the extremities.

The story also has tips on getting in shape, and has a bunch of links to suggested fourteeners for beginners. Someday I’ll be brave enough to try hiking that high, but then again, I’ll alway be tempted to just drive to the top of Pike’s Peak and call that my Colorado Fourteener Experience. Less chance of falling off the mountain that way.